Secrets of the Night
by Eyes-of-Pearl
Summary: COMPLETED. After a night of passion, the couples are revealed. Now, find out what happens after they are caught. Some secrets are meant to be find and some aren't... CarterDeb, Reela, hint of Samka and JakeAbby Rated varies from T to M
1. A Night of Passion

**Secrets of the Night**

_by: Eyes-of-Pearl_

**Rating**: T

**Disclaimer**: ER belongs to its respective owners.

**Author's Note & Synopsis**: Thanks you to all those who reviewed Coffee Induced Purchase and Then Some, as well as The Simplicity of it. You guys are the best.

Also, I have created a new C2: _"Unchartered Territory, Unspoken Attractions"_ which archives Carter & Deb friendship and shippers, so any underground Jinters please check it out.

Ok for this fic, I am having a lot of trouble with the title right now, but I suppose that this will serve for now. Don't be surprised if it gets changed. This part is subtitled 'A Night of Passion,' just a plotless blurb. I'm sure you get the idea.

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**Secrets of the Night**

_A NIGHT OF PASSION_

He had gotten into a habit of twisting the single gold band around his finger whenever he was nervous or in deep thought. The rhythmic movement of the single piece of metal around his fourth finger was rather comforting and the feeling helped him focus. He just did it subconsciously, unaware of his own actions. However, it was not the case with _her_. Even when they were preoccupied with separate tasks or having two unrelated conversations, if she was standing close enough to have him in her peripheral vision, she would notice. She would see out of the corner of her deep brown eyes, the clasping of his hands, the twisting and turning of his fingers. It was irritating really. At the same time, it was flattering because she was the one who gave him that particular ring.

Little did she know, she too had a similar fetish for cyclic metal items. Of course, she would never admit to being guilty of the same crime that he was. He knew her well enough not to tease her too often about it, but he would smirk knowingly whenever she would finger the necklace beneath her blouse. She had the habit of fumbling with the single piece of jewellery that he had given her, sliding the charm back and forth on the sterling silver chain before tucking everything back behind her lab coat.

If anybody noticed their strange behaviours, nobody commented. Then again, the unofficial rumour mill at County General Hospital could be quite extensive. One could never predict what the next hot topic for discussion would be. From his past experiences, he certainly hoped that this piece of information would be out of the loop. He was secretly happy that the particular news had been under wraps for about a month now. It was nice to savour that little secret between you and the other person involved.

She waited for him at the edge of the ER loading area. The sirens of ambulance permeated through the air. She nodded at the incoming staff and was thankful to be going home. The night air was chilly as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. One hand went beneath her shirt, to seek comfort in the solitary ring which hang around her neck.

"Nervous about something?" A voice broke into her thoughts. She could recognize the voice anywhere.

"I don't know what you're talking about," feigning ignorance.

"No, of course not." He had the self-satisfied smirk and his hazel-brown eyes betrayed his real thoughts.

She rolled her eyes and decided to not wait for him and walked in the direction of the subway. He easily caught up with her and wisely refrained from further comments. It was only until they found seats in the seemingly empty subway cart, that his right hand found his way to her left. She looked down at the gold which encircled his fourth finger and did what she did every night after a shift at the ER. She took off the band and slipped it rightfully back to his left hand. She raised her head upwards and saw the twinkle in his eyes which she would never tire of seeing. She leaned forward to kiss him, cursing slightly at the poor engineering of subway seats.

Eyes slipped shut as he circled his hands around her neck. Without breaking contact with the woman in front of him, he easily removed the clasp on her necklace. Their kiss intensified in preparation of what was to come. He traced his tongue across her lips but forced himself to retract when she opened her mouth to allow his entrance. She looked at him in confusion and in shock, until she realized what his intentions were. Ceremoniously, he took the one-carat diamond ring with its surrounding band of platinum off the chain, and slipped it back into her designated ring finger. Putting the now-ring-deprived necklace around her swan-liked neck, he did not hesitate to kiss the spot just at the base of her throat.

The kiss was short and sweet, leaving a tingling sensation through her spine. She wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on the side of his face. She moaned slightly, as he relentlessly traced a path from her collarbone, up the side of her neck. He paused momentarily sucked a spot slightly beneath her ear lobe, leaving a tattletale mark. He whispered soft nothings as he continued upwards to her cheeks, around her forehead, down the other side of her face. He kissed around the arc of her jaw and the corners of her lips, avoiding the slight pout that she was forming.

Perhaps, that was the reason why she was caught off guard when his passions flared and he ravaged her slightly parted lips. This time, he slipped his tongue into hers and declared dominance in her mouth. She was no shy kitten as she matched his spar, tracing the insides of his mouth. She pulled his head closer and used the sudden force to pull herself up until she was straddling his lap, effectively trapping him between her and the seat. She made sure she adjusted herself in such a way that would alert a certain part of his anatomy. It served him right for teasing her before.

His response was instantaneous with the slight bulging in his pants. She purposely squeezed his thigh with her legs and moved around ever-so-slightly until her weight was applying a slight pressure on the area. His eyes widened and it took a great deal of self control and effort to effectively untangle himself from the too-innocent woman in front of him. It was not for the lack of interest, but rather, he was subconsciously aware that they were nearing their stop. She knew this too, though she smirked at his efforts of deep breathing and cooling himself off by loosening his tie and undoing the top buttons of shirt. He took off his jacket next when the PA announced their stop.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms protectively around the waist and grabbed the rest of their belongings in the other. He was anxious to get to her apartment, and was thankful that it was walking distance to the station. Knowing what he had in mind, her heart pounded in anticipation. They practically sprinted up the stairs. He dug inside his pocket for the keys, always thankful that she had given him a copy many years ago.

Stepping into the darkened apartment, he dumped their stuff by the door without decorum. Then, as if they were still on the subway, he quickly found the waiting lips of his wife. She was secretly glad that he had taken the effort of removing his jacket and loosening parts of his shirt and tie beforehand. With delicate fingers, she made short work on the rest of the buttons. Baring his chest, she liberally felt his taunt muscles beneath her palms. Trailing down slowly, she daftly removed his belt, before lingering on the zipper of his pants.

He did not allow her to make that move. He lifted her up slightly from around her waist. On the way to the bedroom, she quickly slipped off her shoes, before slamming the door shut with her foot. Placing her down on the floor again, he slipped his hands under her lab coat, he quickly removed the white garment. It was soon followed by both their shirts and his tie. Leaving her lips for a moment, she nuzzled at the base of his neck in a similar manner to what he did to her earlier. He lowered himself slightly to allow her better access while he pulled the zipper down from her skirt.

Pulling away, he admired the profile of the woman before him. He was secretly pleased at the choice of lingerie. She was wearing black satin underwear, made of soft and sheer material that resembled lace. He wondered if she purposely picked it out for his admiration. Nodding his approval, his arm reach behind to the small of her back and slowly arched her body upwards. With the other hand, his index finger slowly traced down her midline from her throat to the neck, down to the center of her cleavage. She shivered from his agonizingly slow touch. The hand on her back found the clasp for her bra. In one shift motion, it was off, joining the rest of their discarded clothing. He lifted her up again and placed her on the bed. He climbed in afterwards after removing the rest of his pants and socks.

For a moment, neither of them moved, mesmerized by the vision before them. Her breasts were in full view. Her hands were stretched outwards with her mass of midnight coloured hair fanned out around her. He had always been physically fit, keeping himself in shape. The moonlight highlighted the firm and hard muscles of his chest. They had worked together for so long and knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. The undeniable chemistry was there, even though neither of them seek to acknowledge it. She was the strategist, intricately thinking through each problem in a systemic manner. She knew the facts and he was the medium for projection. There was an aura of charisma around him, with a smile that could disarm the most stubborn of patients. He connected to them in such a way that she could not and for that, they were complementary team.

However in this bed, they were not colleagues in County General Hospital's ER ward. They were husband and wife, without false pretenses to hide their love and admiration for each other. For the moment, they were only separated by pieces of their undergarments.

She made a move to pull herself from the supine position on the bed, but she was partially successful, as her husband leaned forward to push her back down with both hands. The bodies radiated with a new sexual energy. He was previously aroused and it took little for his body to react again. He looked to her silently for permission which she granted with a kiss. Her lips softly touched his before ferociously moving over them. His pulse quickened and his hands found his way to one of her breasts. Her nipples hardened upon contact as she moaned in response. Hearing her cries, he murmured her name upon her lips. "Baby, you're so beautiful."

"And, I'm yours."

He sent butterfly kisses down her neck, to the tops of her breasts. His head swam with her declaration as he slowly caressed her skin around her rib cage, down to her panties. He massaged the area before slipping the fabric off her body. Likewise, her hands skimmed to the waistband of his boxers. In an efficient manner, she pushed them down. In a quick maneuver, there was nothing but skin between them.

He positioned his legs on either side of her, squeezing her thighs. The atmosphere of the room intensified, sending off electrical sparks upon contact. She reached up to pull his head down upon hers, with the dire need to have him as close as possible. She whispered his name, "God, I need you so badly."

She massaged his skull and he mumbled something incoherent in reply. He was only aware of the heat. "I need you now," she repeated more urgently this time.

"I need you more. Let me do this."

She was ready as she had many times before. He hated causing her pain even for the sake of giving her pleasure. He tried to be gentle, allowing her body to adjust to his intrusion. The gentle rhythmic motions evolved into hard thrusting of two intertwined bodies. They reached the point of ecstasy in one cry, when he collapsed exhausted on top of her.

He made a move to extract himself but stopped when she wrapped her legs around his. She loved the feeling of him inside of her. He didn't object and instead, settled his head between her breasts. He was mindful to not crush the lithe body beneath his. He was tired. His last conscious thought before slipping into a blissful sleep was the pulling of bed covers which his wife lazily draped over them before she too shut herself to the world of dreams.

_End of A Night of Passion_

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AN: This is the first time that I have written anything remotely close to this nature. I don't think I could have pulled off a truly explicit scene, but I think the implications are there. I purposely left out the names of the couple, so feel free to guess on a pairing.

Now, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering if I will continue with another part. To be honest, this first part was written in such a way to allow me to do so, but it all depends on reviewer's response. If not, I'll just leave it as it stands, so r/r and let me know 'k.


	2. Morning of Relevations

Standard disclaimers applied. See Part I for further details.

**Author's Note & Synopsis**: Sorry to take so long to get this next chapter out. I actually had it written for awhile but I never got around to posting it. The rating had been changed again to a rating of M, now that I have decided to continue this. Thank you for all those who checked out Part I. I have originally thought of this as a Carter/Deb relationship but now that I think about it, I'm going to make this in conjunction with a Reela as well. That way Ray/Neela fans would get their dose of fluffiness.

I would like to clarify while I take some things from the series, the sequence of certain elements will be changed accordingly to fit my story. Consider this fic to be AU and the next part of the story continues from where we left off from the last chapter.

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**Secrets of the Night**

_A MORNING OF REVELATIONS_

She woke up to the feeling of heat upon her face. She slowly pried her eyes opened and winced at the sunbeam penetrating through the blinds. As she came into consciousness, she was aware of the heaviness on her chest. Then, she remembered the events from the night before as chills ran through her. She shifted herself, hoping to find a more comfortable position despite the weight of her husband on top of her. However, she was not careful in her attempt to not wake him, as his muffled voice was heard, "Deb, go back to sleep."

Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen, or rather Carter, lovingly stroked the top of her husband's head. "John, it's ten in the morning."

"Who cares? We got the day off," he murmured

"Yes, I hate to waste it in bed."

"Tired of me already?" he asked in mock alarm as he raised himself abruptly from his position on top of her.

"Maybe, what are you going to do about?"

She used the moment of surprise to extricate herself from him, wincing slightly as her body protested against her movements. Her eyes narrowed at her husband's smug expression. Wrapping herself in one of the bedsheets, she turned and winked at him before saying, "I'm going to take a shower."

John Carter stared at the closed door of the bathroom for a moment, debating whether or not, he should join Deb in her shower. His wife - the thought baffled him at times. He considered himself to be immensely lucky to find such an incredible woman to marry him. It wasn't for the lack of interest from his female counterparts; he almost proposed to Dr. Abby Lockhart before. He treasured his time with Abby, no matter how turbulent they were. However, there was something about Deb Chen that gave him stability.

She challenged him to be a better doctor, from their rivalry back in medical school till now, as colleagues of County. She understood the pressures of coming from a rich family, the desire to carve an identity out of the mould of a family name. She would never judge him for his past, always the confidante and silent second-mate. She too, had her secrets, liked the adoption of Michael to the debacle with Kerry and being the Chief Resident. He saw her for the passionate woman that she was, beyond the ever-collected ER doctor that she portrayed. He remembered the day when he decided that Deb was the woman that he wanted to be his wife.

_A gun was pointed at her temple. The other time that he felt such helplessness was when he stared into the dying face of Lucy Knight. At this present moment, Carter realized with despair that he could not imagine his life without Deb in it. He was mad at himself when Pratt went to comfort the distraught Chinese woman. However, that did not stop him from looking for her at the end of the shift._

_He knew that he would find her on the roof, in what she called his "personal self-pity corner" (1). She had been expecting him to come after her, so it was no surprised that she fell into his welcome arms at the sound of his approach. She half cried and half poured out her fears, "Oh John ... I was so scared ... I thought I was going to die ...I thought ... that I ..."_

"_Thought what, Deb?"_

_She pulled away from him and refused to meet his gaze. Gathering his resolve, he said, "Deb, I was scared too. I thought that I was going to lose you back there. I just couldn't imagine what would happen if he ..."_

"_I'm here now, John. It's fine."_

"_No, it's not!" He debated whether it was an appropriate time to let her know of his epiphany. Then, he decided to plunge head on before he lost his nerve._

"_You don't understand, Deb! Everything isn't fine. You could have died back there, not knowing."_

"_Not knowing what, John?" He had her full attention now._

"_About my feelings for you, Deb. You could have died not knowing that I love you. I'm sorry that it took a gun to your head for me to figure it out."_

_She was stunned. There was so much to say, but she could not make out a coherent sentence. He mistook her silence for a rejection. He was half way to the door, before she ran after him and crushed him with a kiss. Actions replaced words and they had known each other for too long to let frivolous sayings speak for what was true in their hearts. She felt the same._

_When they finally broke to catch their breaths, he whispered into her ear, "Marry me."_

_Rendered speechless for the second time that night, she stared stupidly at the man before her. He cocked his head in amusement before getting down on one knee, "Deb, would you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?"_

She came out of the shower with a tower wrapped around her still-damped her. She was tying her robe as she was stepping into her bedroom again. She leaned against the doorframe to find her husband with a confounded expression on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" He jumped at the sound of her voice and she got a perverse pleasure of scaring him out of his thoughts.

"My proposal to you" was his reply before getting up from the bed. He kissed her softly on the cheek on his way to use the shower.

She wondered at his choice of topic and like so many times before, she often wondered if he regretted asking her to marry him.

_When she got over her shock, she realized that she still hadn't answered his question yet. She knew all the implication and complications of accepting his proposal. John wasn't Asian; he had a history with many women; he knew about Michael. Then, she realized that she didn't care about all of that because she loved John Truman Carter for who he was. So, she said, "Yes, John. I would be your wife."_

_He swept her up into his arms and twirled her around until she was dizzy with delight. "Don't worry. I'll get you a ring, Deb and make it official."_

_Their betrothal remained a secret, even after John got her the diamond-studded engagement ring. He had gotten her a matching necklace, so she could wear it hidden beneath her clothes. Their secret kept for over a year after the deaths of Dr. Mark Greene, John's grandfather and Gamma. During the ER lockout, she was quarantined after exposure to two children with suspected small pox. She was thrown into a state of hopelessness and practically broke off the engagement when she thought that John was having feelings for Abby again._

_Then when she was cleared of any disease, he had embraced her in such a way that dispelled any fears of his 'infidelity.' "Where would you want to be right now?" he asked as he kissed her._

_She jokingly replied that she wanted to get marry in some desolate country in Africa. She didn't think that he was going to take her seriously. However after their shift, he had secured them with day offs from County and onto one of his family's private jets and on their way to Africa. In an unconventional ceremony, they were married by one of the missionary priest in the area._

_Her first days as Mrs. John Carter were spent helping the sick people there. The experience was very heart-rendering and she found herself aching for the son that she put up for adoption. She poured her pent up emotions into serving the public, healing hurts and offering comfort. She left Africa with a broaden perspective of the world around her._

_When they returned to Chicago as husband and wife, John promised her a honeymoon when there was more time. For now, she and John decided to keep their marriage a secret. Both hated the rumour mill and knew that it would be awkward to suddenly announce their new status. Though it was hard to keep up with the pretense at a professional level, they took great pleasure in enjoying their time as husband and wife. They did not officially move into each other's houses. Sometimes, they would make it back to his mansion but more often than not, John would be at Deb's apartment. It was simpler that way._

Jing-Mei was twisting her wedding band around nervously when she felt his arms wrapping her waist. He was quick to reassure her as he nuzzled her neck. "Come, I thought you said that you didn't want to waste your time in bed."

They made plans to pick up his car back at the mansion and for John to get extra clothes. "Why don't you just move in with me," he whined as they found seats on the crowed subway.

"Because ..." she answered with a kiss on his pouting lips. She pulled away with a smile and then saw out of her peripheral vision a couple doing the same thing, several seats away from them. 'Were we like that last night?' she wondered.

However, there was a sense of familiarity that made her looked twice. She suddenly noted the cropped brown hair of the male and the large black package next to him. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the female was from her long obsidian tresses that were tangled in the man's daft fingers.

Seeing her attention diverted elsewhere, Carter followed his wife's line of vision. His breath hitched in surprise, "Barnett!"

He supposed that he had been louder than he originally thought because Deb smacked him gently on the arm. The man in question looked up and there was recognition in the eyes of Dr. Ray Barnett.

-o-o-

Neela Rasgotra was enjoying the feeling of her fiance's tongue in her mouth after a long midnight shift at County. When she agreed to be roommates with Ray Barnett, it never crossed her mind that one day, she would agree to marry him. If anybody even suggested that she liked him in an intimate sense, she would ordered a psyche consult STAT for the mistaken fool.

However, against all her expectations, she had fallen for him. There was something about his undeniable charm to his determined attitude beneath the flirtatious front that he put on for the adoring fans of his rock band. Likewise for Ray, Neela was far from the girls that he usually dated. Without a doubt, she was intelligent, with a precocious maturity that amazed him. Yet, Ray considered himself privileged to witness the fun and loving side of his roommate. He knew her guilty pleasure for cricket and soccer or as Neela would insist 'football.' He learned the hard way, not to mess with the remote when she was watching those games if he wanted his manhood to remain in one piece. She was obsessive compulsive about keeping the apartment clean, the cupboards stocked, and the noise levels down. She pulled more than her share around the place, especially when it came to calling for apartment repairs.

Often, Neela would mistakenly assume that she had Ray Barnett all figured out, but she was surprised by the multitude of layers that she uncovered over the many months. She decided that she 'dig' rock music, although, she would never quite understand the relationship that he had with his guitars. She thought that he was just a jock who wanted to be a doctor from 9-5, but he was as much as a doctor who wanted to be a jock from 5-9. In other words, she could never completely separate the two entities that made Ray Barnett special and she loved him for that.

Ray knew that Neela was going to be his special girl when she got news of Dr. Michael Gallant's death. She broke down in front of him and Ray realized that he wanted to be _the_ one to comfort her and love one. She blamed herself for Gallant's death and for four painful weeks, Ray watched from the sidelines, as his roommate closed herself off and withdrew from him. Until one rainy day, he snapped on their way up to their apartment. He took her in his arms and ravaged her lips.

"_Dammit! I'm here, Neela! I love you for god's sakes. Gallant's dead and he's never coming back. How can I convince that it isn't your fault? I'm here, right now, at this moment and I love you!"_

_She cried and collapsed into his lean frame. Her body shook against his and she struggled to catch her breath. Ray was sorry for yelling at her but was interrupted when she looked up at him in earnest and pleaded, "Make love to me, Ray."_

_He wasn't sure that it was such a good idea but when she repeated herself, he nodded and took the woman in his arms. In his hurry, he almost dropped his keys on the way up the stairs. With a triumphant click, he opened the door to their apartment. Without reservation, he pushed the shorter woman against the now-closed front door and proceeded to kiss her thoroughly on the mouth. He pulled her upwards, supporting her weight with the door behind her, as she wrapped her legs around him. Their tongues explored each other, tentatively at first, savouring the feeling before pulling away for air._

"_If you wouldn't mind, I would prefer to do this in bed."_

_He laughed in spite of himself. Trust his Neela to lighten up the situation. "It would probably be more comfortable anyways. Mine or yours?"_

"_Yours, it's closer to the bathroom anyways."_

_He didn't comment on the fact that their bedrooms were equal distance from the bathroom, but he did not deny the fact that he was extremely pleased that for their first time, she wanted to make love with him on his bed. She didn't wait for his reply as she conspicuously tugged on his shirt in an attempt to get it off from him. "C'mon, Ray" she pouted._

_A trail of clothes were flung carelessly from the door to his bedroom. Neela purposely chose it for the setting as her way of apologizing for her behaviour since Gallant's death. Ray was gentle with her as he laid her on top of the covers. She trusted him and fully submitted herself to his will. "You can't hurt me, Ray."_

_It was all the incentives that he needed as he straddled her knees and bent to kiss the area above her belly button. Her breath was caught as he kissed along an invisible line upwards to the junction between her breasts. She allowed his lips to continue their assault on the sensitive flesh of her right breast and nipple. His hand made contact with the other mound, squeezing it slightly._

_She gasped as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She arched upwards slightly, unable to move with his added weight on her knees. She was aroused as he gave her left breast the same attention which sent a rush of tingling chills through her body. His lips continued their maddening ascent up her shoulders, neck, before kissing her lips._

_She opened her mouth against his, teasing him. Her hand lingered on his bare chest. The temperature of the room rose as their bodies ignited in their lovemaking. Her body called for him, finally succumbing to her desires that was present from the first moments that she moved in with Ray Barnett. His body hovered above hers, seeking the permission that she gave him with only a mere whisper. In ragged breaths, their union was both pleasurable and painful as they rocked in tune until they were driven to oblivion. He didn't pull away at first in his exhaustion but when he finally rolled away from her, his hands easily found hers as they drifted off to sleep._

He proposed to her during one of his gigs. She had said that she was going to work late at County but little did she know, she pulled a favour with Kovac to get off two hours early to come see him. She was hidden in the shadows backstage but she made sure that her presence was known by pulling him behind the curtains into one of the dressing rooms. She was dressed in one of the most revealing clothes that he had seen her wear: a hot pink tube top and a black miniskirt with a pair of black knee high boots to complete the ensemble. She said that Abby made her buy it. While Ray made a mental note to buy Abby a nice present later, he was more nervous about what he was about to do. Getting down on one knee, he said, "Neela, baby, marry me."

"Ray, if you're joking ..."

"I'm not, Neela. I love you. Be my wife."

That was over three weeks ago. Neela had to admit that the trill of keeping their relationship was very exciting. Sometimes, it was painful to be working the same shift but unable to get close to him. However, Ray would compensate by leaving her notes in her locker or following her to the drug cabinet for a "second opinion." He did this with the fullest intention of feeling her butt or leaving careless caresses when nobody was watching.

At this present moment, she had been perfectly happy just kissing him. Her fingers traced his newest tattoo. He had gotten her name, along with their engagement date tattooed on his body. "That way I won't forget it. Besides, if any other chicks saw it, they'll know that I'm already taken," he had said.

Suddenly, he pulled away. Somebody had called out his name. He looked up and stared disbelievingly in front of him. Neela twisted her body around and realized that she and Ray had been caught making out on the subway by doctors Carter and Chen!

_End of A MORNING OF REVELATIONS_

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AN: How was that? I really tried to make it work with the Carter/Deb & Reela into it. Please let me know by r/r.

(1) "self-pity corner" That was the expression that was used in my other fic, The Simplicity of It which is a Carter/Deb friendship fic.


	3. Afternoon of Mutual Understandings

Standard disclaimers applied. See Part I for further details.

**Author's Note & Synopsis**: Thank you to everyone who checked out Part II. Consider this fic to be AU and the next part of the story continues from where we left off from the last chapter.

_AshCarroll aka ShadowDiva:_ lol. CarterDeb and Reela are my favourite couples too. It's nice to be able to have them together in the same fic.

_kalanporterfan:_ Thanks. I hope you enjoy this next chapter one too.

_Leven_: I know I like Reelas too. Thanks for the review.

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**Secrets of the Night**

_AN AFTERNOON OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS_

For a moment, none of the four doctors moved. That was until the subway pulled into the next station. They were spared from talking to each other when Ray realized that it was his and Neela's stop. Breaking eye contact, he grabbed his guitar case - which Jing-Mei can previously noticed, and then tugged on Neela's arm to pull her out of her reverie. Without a backwards glance, the two roommates got off the subway before the Chinese doctor could call out a word.

She turned hopelessly back to her husband, "John."

"I know, Deb."

"They think that we are going to say something about them."

"And, it is not our secret to tell, because ..."

"We're going through the same thing, maybe even more because we're married."

Carter was mildly surprised at this new development between Ray and Neela. 'I thought that they were only roommates.' Then, he quickly shelved his comment because no matter how unlikely the pairing seems to be, he certainly wasn't the person to judge. 'After all,' he thought, 'what would people say about Deb and I.'

Jing-Mei had never bonded with Neela. Before she got together with John, she had a thing for Pratt who had a thing for Neela. As a result, she had never given the Indian doctor a chance. After she got it quits with Pratt and married John, she had established only a strictly professional decorum with Neela. Now, she wished that she had been closer to the younger woman. At least, it would make what she wanted to do a lot easier.

"Deb, what are you thinking of?"

"John, I think we should call them or something... maybe to let them know that they are not alone in having a relationship with your roommate."

"Deb ..." he wasn't sure that it was such a good idea, but he stopped when he saw look that she had given him. Instead, he conceded by handing over his cell phone which has most of the staff at County listed as contacts, "I know that this little diner that's a couple of blocks from here. Call them."

-o-o-

Neela and Ray were silently as they made their way back to the apartment. She could sense Ray's anger and frustration through his silence. Neela herself, felt like she was seven years old again, having been caught doing something naughty by her elders. She wondered what Dr. Carter and Dr. Chen would say about her relationship with Ray, though she secretly thought that it was none of anybody's business about the ins and outs of her life. She wasn't ashamed to be seen as Ray's fiancee, but she had hoped that she could savour her secret a little bit longer.

Little did she know that Ray was having similar thoughts. He loved Neela and there was no way, he was going to let a bunch of doctors pushed him around just because they had several more years under their belt. He didn't care whether or not they approved their relationship, because he was pretty damn proud of calling Neela, his girl. The one thing that he was mad about was the fact that Carter and Chen found out the way they did.

As soon as he closed the door to their apartment, he turned and faced the woman before him. "I don't care what anybody says, Neela. You're mine and I'm not letting you go."

She smiled at his forwardness and honesty and replied with equal fervour, "I'm not that easy to get rid, Barnett!"

Any previous signs of exhaustion drained away with one insatiable touch of their lips. She moaned against his, as he circled his arms around her waist.

It took a few moments to realize that the phone was ringing. Neela was slightly dazed because Ray had been busy sucking on her bottom lip. She took a moment to reorient herself before grabbing the cordless and answered, "Hello, Barnett-Rasgotra residence."

-o-o-

Jing-Mei dialled the number for the apartment as John led the way to diner. She almost hang up, until the phone was answered by Neela herself. Jing-Mei sighed, unsure why she was so nervous to begin with. However, she was never one to back down from something that she started. "Um, Neela, this is Dr. Chen."

There was a pause on the other side, until Neela replied, "Hello Dr. Chen, what can I do for you?"

The Indian doctor was half-surprised to hear the Chinese doctor on the line. She raised an eyebrow at Ray who was looking at her from across the room. She heard a sigh before Dr. Chen said, "Neela. Um, John and I were wondering if you and Ray would like to meet us for lunch. There is a small little diner that John knows about and we'll be happy for you guys to join us. How does in half an hour sound?"

"Lunch in half an hour with you and Dr. Carter?" Neela repeated for Ray's benefit, who shrugged nonchalantly. He gave her permission to decide. Neela thought that it was just as good or as bad of a time as any, so she agreed. The two women exchanged further directions before hanging up.

-o-o-

To say that both couples were nervous was really an understatement. Carter amused himself as Deb kept twisting and turning the wedding band on her ring finger. In and out, over and under ... her coffee - milk with two sugars, was left untouched (1). Little did they know, Ray and Neela were having the same problems. Neela was debating whether or not, she should wear Ray's engagement ring on its rightful place or leave it on the necklace around her neck. They finally settled it when Ray said that he was going to wear his on his ring finger.

They found the place easily enough. Ray wrapped his arms protectively around Neela as they made their way into the crowded restaurant. When they arrived, Ray and Neela had no idea what to make of the scene. Carter had his arms around Dr. Chen and he was whispering something in her ear, before kissing her chastely on the cheeks. Instead of overanalysing situation, Ray coughed to let their presence known. The couple broke apart and Jing-Mei gestured the empty booth in front of them. "Sit, thanks for coming."

Neela nodded and slid in first. As Jing-Mei went to grab menus for them, the sunlight caught the sparkling glint on the Chinese woman's left hand. Neela followed the movement of the light, until she found the source when the menu was handed to her. There was no mistake as to the beautifully crafted heart-shaped diamond that was on the ring finger of the older colleague. The two women locked eyes for a moment, challenging the other to say something. Jing-Mei almost nodded unsusceptibly before passing a menu to Ray. Neela took a glance at Dr. Carter's left hand. He too, sported a golden band on his ring finger.

Carter felt that he was under heavy scrutiny, not that he was overly self conscious but he didn't enjoy the feeling of being watched all the time. He couldn't read Barnett's face who kept his face relatively neutral since arriving at the diner. Carter didn't really blame him. Both men came to the silent conclusion that their respective women were much better in taking the lead in the conversation.

It didn't take long after the waitress came to take their orders and refilled both coffees for Carter and Jing-Mei that Neela began, "Dr. Chen."

The older woman cut her off with a shake from her head, "It's Jing-Mei. Besides, I'm officially a Carter now."

It took a moment for the words to sink in, even Ray dropped all his pretense of inspecting the menu to stare. He quickly spotted the wedding rings from the couple before him. Neela was speechless and she was quite aware of the fact that her mouth had dropped open.

Carter saved the awkward moment, by draping his arm around his wife's shoulder and pulling her closer to him. "Let me introduce my wife, Mrs. Jing-Mei Deb Carter III."

His wife started at his introduction. "John, that sounded terrible," she mockingly smacked him on the chest. "Mrs. Carter the third? What kind of intro is that?"

"Hey baby, that's the name that you married into."

"Oh really? I believed I was misinformed."

"So, you only married me for my charming good looks."

"Don't flatter yourself, John. I married you out of pity."

"Ouch Deb, that hurts."

"Well, I'll forgive once you find better intro for my married name."

They broke off their banter when the waitress returned with the drinks for Neela and Ray. Neela and Ray raised eyebrows at each other. If they didn't know any better, Carter and Jing-Mei reminded of themselves.

This time it was Ray who asked, "How long?" To say the least, he was genuinely surprised, as well as curious.

"The official marriage is a only little over a month, but we've been engaged for a lot longer than that," answered John.

It was another bombshell had been dropped onto of Neela and Ray. They never suspected this and at that moment, they realized the true intent of this get together. It was Carters' way of giving their approval and complete support of their relationship by letting them in about their marriage.

"Oh my gosh! That's so bloody wonderful," Neela let out an uncharacteristic scream that attracted a lot of unwanted attention from the other patrons.

Both Ray and Carter looked decidedly uncomfortable but Neela and Jing-Mei could have care less. Jing-Mei was happy at the fact that she could finally show off her rings as was the right of every married woman. Not to mention, she could finally tell somebody that she was happy to be Mrs. John Truman Carter III.

With the appropriate oohing and ahhing, Jing-Mei twisted Neela's left hand and said, "And, you weren't going to tell me about this, Neela?"

At this, the two women laughed as if they had been best of friends. Carter raised an eyebrow at Ray who said, "Twenty-two days ago, but who's counting?"

"Touche," as the men took a drink from their respective cups of coffees.

By the time that their food arrived, the four had became fast friends. Jing-Mei was telling Neela about her time in Africa, with Carter occasionally adding in details at the appropriate parts of the story. Ray told them about some of his gigs and was surprised that Carter enjoyed some of their songs.

"Gosh, med school seems so long ago. We were bitter rivals. I always had to do everything better and John was always getting the good cases, the best surgeries," Jing-Mei reflected.

"Deb, I didn't know you were jealous," her husband teased.

"Don't sound so smug."

"Hey, I'll be honest, you can upstage by a mile with the mindless facts."

"Facts are important, John."

"She's right you know, Dr. Carter," Neela interjected.

"Oh please, don't get her started."

"What's that supposed to mean, Ray?"

"Nothing, babe."

"Don't babe, me. I want to know that you mean."

"Whatever you say, babe," he smirked as he wisely shut up and took another drink from his coffee.

At this, the two women looked at each other and muttered, "Men" and shared a knowing smile.

"How could you keep it a secret for so long?" Neela had asked after their table were cleared of dishes.

"It is really hard. As I'm sure you yourself know, it's not easy trying to maintain professionalism when you are working together in the same ER. Plus, it is such a hassle to keep my ring hidden all the time."

Neela nodded in sympathy, "Have you told anybody else, Jing-Mei?"

"No, you and Ray are the first people that we told."

"What about your parents?"

"No, mother would never approve of John because he wasn't Chinese. Then again, there are a lot of things that my family and I don't see eye to eye. They have come close to disowning me many times before and I have given up trying to live up to their expectations of me."

It was a sore spot that Neela could not help but sympathesize. How often had she and Ray discussed this point about her and her parents? How many times have she tried to convince her them that she was happy with her life? It felt good to have somebody who understand what she was going through.

"So, Dr. Carter, does that mean I can sneak my fiancee into the nearest janitor's closet with your approval?" Ray asked, wiggling his eyebrows at his fiancee. Neela looked at him with a criticizing gaze. Ray looked back in mock indignation and winked back at her.

Carter chuckled softly at the scene. "I'm sure Dr. Weaver would have something to say about that, Barnett."

"Sure, like you haven't done that with your wife."

"Nope, I don't think we ever tried it in the janitor's closet."

_End of AN AFTERNOON OF MUTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS_

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AN: Alright, so I am trying to put some humour, but truthfully, I have no idea where I'm going with this story but I find it fascinating that I can draw similarities between Carter/Deb vs Reela. Anyways, r/r and let me know what you think.

(1) Minor detail that I pulled from my other fic, Changes which is a Carter/Deb friendship fic.


	4. An Evening of Presenting Truths

Standard disclaimers applied. See Part I for further details.

**Author's Note & Synopsis**: Ok, we've reached the last chapter. Believe it or not, I had the most trouble with finding the most appropriate ending ... anyways, I have taken the sole focus away from Carter, Deb, Ray and Neela. (don't worry, they'll get enough screen time) In this one, the general perspective is from Abby's point of view. The mood is slightly humourous. Don't worry once I stop babbling, then you guys will see what I mean.

_AshCarroll aka ShadowDiva:_ lol, I like the last line too. I think that it's something that Ray would say. And yes, I'm glad that you like the jinter & reela friendship.

_kalanporterfan:_ Thanks for reviewing. Hope, you like this one too.

_TTFN:_ Thanks. I would like see what people think of the whole deb/carter & neela/ray interaction. I'm glad that you like it.

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**Secrets of the Night**

_AN EVENING OF PRESENTING TRUTHS_

It has been three months since that afternoon in a little Chicago diner. The four friends stood steadfast together, keeping each other secrets and enjoying each other's company. Nobody commented on the fact that Drs. Carter and Chen almost always shared the same shifts and days off or the fact that Ray and Neela more often than not, disappear and reappear from surgical rooms together. The couples involved don't really have a good reason not to share on their newfound status. Ray and Neela were still engaged, and Carter and Jing-Mei were still married. (John would insist that they still aren't living together yet.) There just wasn't really a good time to announce to the whole ER.

Then again, secrets are still secrets and they have a funny way to come out at the most inopportune times. Today, the Carters were running late because John was in one of those moods that men get when they wanted something from their wives. Jing-Mei arrived first slightly dishevelled and dashed into the staff lounge. John was still fumbling with his tie when he stepped into the ER about a minute later. This time, he was caught by Abby's calculated gaze.

Now, there was no denying that Carter and Abby had their fair share of history and she could say with some certainty that she could read John better than most people. This was topped by the fact that she was in a relationship herself, and she could tell if somebody came into work after a 'rough' night.

Now, that she thought about, she wondered when she missed the signs. Had she truly been blind to what was in front of her this whole time? She shook her head and looked around the ER ward. There was a slight lull, both Lewis and Kovac were seeing patients. Weaver, Pratt, Morris and Jane weren't in until the afternoon shift. Ray and Neela were around but had disappeared. 'Weren't they getting coffees or something?'

Again, Abby smacked herself mentally. Ray and Neela? 'Girl, you must be spending too much time with Jake to miss something this major.' Then again, she patted herself for catching an inkling because nobody else in the ER had even suspected yet. She saw the closed door of the staff lounge with its blinds drawn. 'Something is definitely up.'

-o-o-

Jing-Mei ran her fingers through her hair as a make-shift comb. She blamed it on John for making her late this morning. He was in a funny mood today because he knew something that she didn't. He was putting on a Christmas party tonight over at his mansion for friends and he invited everybody from the ER to come. Apparently, Luka had approached him earlier because he wanted to propose to Sam tonight.

"C'mon Deb, it will be the perfect time to tell everybody," John had urged.

"I don't want to ruin it for Sam. It'll be her big night."

Then, they remembered the night they got engaged, to their first days as Mr. and Mrs. Carter, till now. Lets just say that one thing led to another and now they were late.

Jing-Mei burst into staff lounge. Her eyes were unaccustomed to the dark and when she turned on the lights, she realized the reason. Ray had Neela pinned firmly between him and the lockers. He was doing some serious anatomy refresher course. The Chinese woman let out an "Oh", before quickly adverting her gaze. She was thankful that they both still had their clothes.

The couple broke apart at her entrance, both panting from the adrenaline and the shock. The door opened the second time to admit Carter. He stopped the door in time before it knocked over his wife. His eyes surveyed the scene from two embarrassed couple in front of him, to the blushing countenance of his wife. "Oh," unknowingly echoing Jing-Mei's reaction.

"They were at least decent," she said to his unanswered question.

Ray recovered first, and gave a lopsided smile. "Running a little late this morning, Dr. Carters?"

It was Jing-Mei's turn to blush, but it was answer enough. She turned to John who was still fiddling with his tie. "Here," she said as she reached up to fix it. He did the same as he straightened the collars of her shirt and lab coat.

Ray smirked at the scene as he reached for his stethoscope by the coffee pot. His expression was unchanged when he handed Neela hers after she messily tied her hair up in a bun. He was about to lean over to kiss her, when the door to the staff lounge opened again.

The four people jumped apart from their respective couples and stared wide-eye at Abby Lockhart who had her arms crossed. "Alright spill it, I know something is up."

She looked at each of them, the fact that they tried to avoid eye contact was a tattletale sign that they were guilty of something. Abby would admit that she was a little hurt that she wasn't in on it. After all, she had history with each one of them. Carter, for one went without saying because their past times together could fill volumes. She didn't want to sound like the jealous ex-girlfriend but it was also the reason why she never got along with Dr. Chen.

Now that brought her to Neela, the seemingly-shy Indian doctor / ex-roommate. She and Neela had become friends, but it was refreshing to see that she could get flustered. As for Ray, there was some speculation in the beginning that they had thing, but that all went away when he and Neela became roommates.

"Come on, I hope you won't insult my intelligence by telling me that it's nothing," she said after an awkward silence.

"Abby, I'm engaged," Neela blurted out. Obviously, subtlety wasn't her strong point today.

Ok, Abby knew that something was up, but engagement wasn't what she had in mind. "What?"

The Indian fumbled for something beneath her shirt. "I'm engaged to Ray," she repeated.

Abby was aware of the fact that her mouth had dropped open as she stared stupidly at the ring. Seeing her bewildered expression, Ray came behind Neela and confirmed it, "Four months and counting."

Neela turned to her fiancee and chided, "Ray, you're not helping."

Turning back to the older woman, she explained, "Abby, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. Everything was so sudden, and you know how much I hate gossip."

Abby snapped out of her reverie. "I thought we're friends, Neela," she could not keep the sadness out of her voice.

"We are. Try to see it from our point of view. How do you all of sudden turn from roommates to being fiancees? We have enough drama in our lives without adding work into the mix."

"But, it was ok for them to know," again Abby could not help the bitterness in the words.

Carter was about to put up defence but Jing-Mei beat him to it. "It wasn't by choice. We found out when we caught them making out on the subway train home. Even then, they didn't know what we would think. Of course, things changed afterwards..."

She left her sentence hanging but Abby caught the insinuation. "Afterwards ..."

"Yes, afterwards ..."

"Maybe I should sit down for this," Abby joked at she looked from Carter and the Chinese woman in front of him.

Jing-Mei returned a weak smile before glancing at John who gave an encouraging look. "Abby, I know that we have never been friends, but ..."

Liked Neela who reached for her necklace, the Chinese retrieved a ring suspended on a single chain. "John and I are married."

At that moment, Abby was glad that she was sitting down. She had to remind herself that she had to ask and this was the result of it. She was conscious of the fact that her mouth had dropped open again. If she had a mirror right now, she would wince at her own proverbial deer caught in the headlights expression.

Then, seeing the four anxious faces in front of her, Abby couldn't begrudge them for their secrecy. Who wouldn't want some sense of normalcy, at life outside of the general workplace? She had been analysed and inspected under some unseen microscope over the course of many years. She knew the rumors and the stuff that was said behind her back, but she knew not to let it get to her. If she was honest with herself, she was doing the same thing with Jake who rarely come to County when she was working. However, that did not mean that outside of work, their relationship hadn't climbed to a new high.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she genuinely smiled and enveloped the two women in a hug. "I understand. Thank you for telling me."

As if seeing them for the first time, she added, "Congratulations and now, let me take a look at those rings."

-o-o-

The Carter mansion was in full swing that night. Unlike the parties put on for various charity functions, this was slightly less ostentatious. However, it was still classy enough for everyone to dress up in evening wear for the night. The house was decorated with tonnes of Christmas trimmings from multiple sized wreaths, to miniature figurines to tinsels and glass ornaments from every colour under the rainbow. A Christmas tree dressed to the nines stood as a centerpiece in one of the dining rooms. A catering service was called in and a buffet was set up along the side walls. Champagne and wine were circulating liked bees to honey.

The music was beautiful. Ray and his bandmates played some Christmas carols, rock-style, though none of the guys would really agree to wearing a suit and tie. Ray was the exception because Neela gave him a look that he didn't want to mess with. He conceded to khakis and a button up shirt and he was subjected to some teasing after their live performance. The bandmates knew when to stop though, because they certainly didn't want a certain Dr. Ragostra to come after them. She was pretty handy with a scalpel.

Afterwards, more subdue traditional music filled the air. The dance floor was cleared and Luka let a radiating Sam onto the center. She was adorned in a dress of silver which complemented her chandelier earrings. Her hair was loose, sending a series of ringlets cascading passed her shoulders and back. Other couples joined them: Chuck and Susan who was in a modest dress of navy blue with a flirty ruffled bottom, Jake and Abby who opted for a formal black velvet dress. Other staff from County were there as well, but Abby noticed the conspicuous absence of the host, along with Jing-Mei, Neela and Ray.

After the dance, Luka gallantly got down on one knee and pulled out a single box from the insides of his suit. Sacred words were spoken as Sam nodded her consent. If possible, she glowed brighter with pleasure as Luka slipped the ring onto her finger and twirled her around.

Abby knew of Luka's intentions before tonight because the Croatian had been on ends debating whether the moment was right for him to propose. Looking at them now, she gave them her most heartfelt blessings. Liked others, she walked over to congratulate the newly-engaged. However, she was not the first, because Jing-Mei and Neela had came from behind and engulfed Sam in a group hug as soon as Luka set her down on the floor again. Carter was shaking Luka's hand, whatever animosity that the two men had from before, dissipated. Ray had his hands full with champagne glasses.

Then came a shriek from Sam, "Oh my gosh! You've got to be kidding me!"

Abby had a sinking feeling of the impending news, but then, she got perverse feeling of pleasure to see how this night was going to unravel itself.

She then, understood the absence from the dance floor. Sam was holding Jing-Mei and Neela's left hands in her own. "When? What ... how?"

Abby secretly wondered if she was liked that when she found out. Others were staring at the three women, all sporting rings on their ring fingers. Sam's was easily understood because Luka just proposed. The other two were a bit hard to explain.

Jing-Mei ever composed, spoke first, "Sam, don't be mad, it wasn't my intention to ruin this night for you."

'Ok scratch that, Jing-Mei may not be smartest cookie in the bunch tonight,' Abby thought.

Awkward silence ensured which made Abby rolled her eyes. She pushed her way to the confused couples and said, "For crying out loud, they are married," pointing to Carter and Jing-Mei, "and they are engaged," indicating Ray and Neela, "and you just got proposed to."

Cueing the mouth-dropping and collective gasps, there were much explanations that went around. Needless to say by the end of the night, it was official to everyone present that there was the existence of Mr. and Mrs. John Truman Carter III, the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Ray Barnett and newly-engaged Mr. and Mrs. Luka Kovac.

Sam was not really mad at all, because she was too happy to care. The women banded together and exchanged their hopes and dreams for their marital futures. The men looked decidedly uncomfortable, even though, Carter by-rights had been married for over four months. Chuck, though had been married longer, sought refuge elsewhere before Susan got any ideas. Ray wisely took the easy way out and found his bandmates for another round of live performances.

By the time, the party wound down to the wee hours of the mornings, they said their good-byes and left with their respective dates.

As she secured her seatbelts, Abby found Jake studying her. "What?" she asked.

"You knew this was going to happen." It wasn't a question.

"Not really. I found out this morning about the whole thing with Carter and Jing-Mei and Ray and Neela. I knew about Luka's proposal to Sam, but I honestly didn't know that all these secrets were going to come out like this."

He nodded as he pulled the car out of the Carters' driveway. Then, he turned back at her and said, "So speaking of telling the truth ... when are you going to tell them that you're pregnant?"

_The End_

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AN: lol, see what I mean? Definitely, not what I had in mind when I first started writing this fic. I guess it turn out better than I could hope. Look at the first chapter. You have nameless couple which could be almost anybody, but by the end, it had evolved from a CarterDeb to Reela. Now, I even added a hint of Samka, and JakeAbby. Funny, how a muse works. Anyways, r/r let me know what you guys think 'k.


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